The home healthcare sector last year withheld more wages from employees than any other industry on Long Island, a Newsday analysis of state and federal labor investigations found. Nearly 40% of $3.9 million in wages deemed stolen by Nassau- and Suffolk-based employers came from home healthcare companies, ahead of the amounts attributed to restaurants and construction firms, records show.An increasingly aging population and the desire to avoid costly nursing homes, both locally and statewide, is driving a boom in home healthcare that is requiring more aides — especially ones who may be vulnerable to wage theft, experts and worker advocates said."Home healthcare is one of those areas that’s still the Wild West," said Janice Fine, the director of the Workplace Justice Lab at Rutgers University, a worker research and advocacy center.Anastasia Valeeva and Josefa Velásquez report in NEWSDAY that statewide, there are about 1,400 home healthcare agencies, and the industry employs more than 663,000 people, according to state and federal data, making it one of New York’s largest employment segments. Roughly 500 agencies are licensed to serve Long Island.A combination of the workforce’s isolation, low wages, unique pay structure and its preponderance of women and immigrants lends itself to mistreatment, including wage theft, the experts and advocates said.Home care aides in New York earned an average of $39,620 in 2025, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, making them among the health sector’s lowest paid workers.In fact, 61% of them were on some form of public assistance in 2023, with almost a third on food and nutrition assistance such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, according to PHI, a research advocacy group that analyzes census data.Home health aides on Long Island, New York City and Westchester earn $19.65 an hour plus 1.5 times their regular rate if they work more than 40 hours a week. Live-in aides are typically only paid for 13 hours of work a day, provided they get eight hours of rest — including at least five hours of uninterrupted sleep — and three hours for meals.But whether someone had to work during their rest hours can be "grounds for a lot of disputes," with usually just the aide and a client able to verify claims, said Bill Hammond, a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute who focuses on healthcare issues.Newsday’s analysis found that a third of Long Island home healthcare companies have been cited for owing back wages by investigators on two or more occasions.***The day has finally arrived.The new Target department store, located in Bridgehampton Commons, is officially open for business.The 90,000-square-foot space was formerly home to Kmart, which closed for good in October 2024. Cailin Riley reports on 27east.com that representatives from Target have said that the store has created about 140 jobs and will provide convenient access to everyday essentials, groceries and same-day fulfillment services. The store will also feature an in-store CVS Pharmacy, which is slated to open next month. The store will also feature a Starbucks cafe, what representatives described as a “food-forward” shopping experience, and adult beverage offerings. On Tuesday, store manager Adriana Fitzpatrick told the media that while Target is a global corporation, the Bridgehampton store will be an active part of the local community. “Our team’s work extends beyond our store walls…Target team members are active in local communities, volunteering and working to address our neighborhood’s most pressing issues…We’re looking forward to partnering with local nonprofit organizations and creating opportunities for our Bridgehampton team to give back.”With the arrival of Target, Bridgehampton Commons once again has a large-scale department store where shoppers can buy a wide variety of home goods and groceries. Having that type of store in that exact location within the Commons is a longstanding tradition. Kmart was there for several years, and in was the last full-size Kmart in mainland United States to close its doors.Before Kmart, Caldor occupied the space. And prior to that Woolco operated where there is now a new Target in Bridgehampton.While the store is already open to the public, there will be a special grand opening celebration this coming Sunday, October 11.***The Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, in collaboration with Guild Hall, is inviting local middle and high school students to participate in its second annual ARF Holiday Card Contest. The winning artwork will be featured on ARF’s professionally printed 2026 holiday card and mailed to supporters throughout the community.Open to students in grades six through 12, the contest asks participants to illustrate one ARF dog and one ARF cat currently available for adoption. The theme is “holiday spirit,” paired with ARF’s mission of giving animals a second chance.Original artwork is ...
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